Thorne, George R., House
Why it's listed
Seven Cottage Row in Midlothian, Illinois, is a large single-family house that began as a summer cottage in 1899. Chicago society architect Howard Van Doren Shaw designed it for George R. Thorne, who chose this lot for his own use. It is one of the cottages built along Cottage Row, facing the Midlothian Country Club golf course. Thorne was a Montgomery Ward & Company partner and the key figure behind the club and the summer colony. In 1913-14 architect N. Max Dunning enlarged the house, enclosing the front loggia and adding brick sections and sunrooms. The exterior mixes Tudor Revival and Shingle Style forms with Classical Revival details, including half-timbering, parapeted gables, limestone plaques and dark red shingle siding. Inside, beamed ceilings, oak trim, built-in cabinetry, fireplaces and leaded glass reflect an English-influenced Arts and Crafts style. The house remains a single dwelling, and its association with Thorne, Shaw and the early country club community supports its listing.
Significance in brief: The house is tied to George R. Thorne, a Montgomery Ward & Company partner who developed the Midlothian Country Club and the Cottage Row summer colony, and he kept this cottage for his own use. It is also a work by Howard Van Doren Shaw, with later alterations by N. Max Dunning. Its eclectic exterior and Arts and Crafts interior are described in detail. The truncated text does not state the criteria or period of significance.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 97000381, listed May 2, 1997. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 7 Cottage Row, Midlothian |
|---|---|
| County | Cook County |
| Listed | May 2, 1997 |
| Reference number | 97000381 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Howard Van Doren Shaw (original design, 1899); N. Max Dunning (1913-14 alterations) |
| Architectural style | Tudor Revival, Shingle Style, Other: Arts and Crafts |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a single dwelling; a two-car garage built in 1987 is noncontributing. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.63268, -87.75076 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 97000381.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q104855190
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.